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NFL Picks

Public Betting Flow Continues to Influence Bills vs. Bears Odds

Oddsmakers have released their NFL betting lines for Week 1 and it's no surprise to see Jay Cutler, Brandon Marshall, Matt Forte and the Bears installed as favorites for their home matchup against somewhat of an unknown quantity in the Bills.

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Not too much to report here.

As it stands, the Bears are still 6.5 to 7-point favorites at the online sportsbooks. They return all of their most skilled offensive players, including Jay Cutler, Matt Forte, Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery. This is an offense that was built to score points.

The Bills aren't quite as talented on that side of the ball, but they do have a solid running back duo in C.J. Spiller and Fred Jackson and an electrifying rookie receiver in Sammy Watkins. Don't sleep on that defense either.

We actually believe Buffalo may be a little under-rated here in Week 1. With that in mind, we're taking the points and adding the Bills to our collection of free NFL picks this weekend.

NFL Picks: Bills +7

It was a forgettable season for both Chicago and Buffalo in 2013-14. Neither team made the playoffs, despite having quite a bit of talent.

For Week 1 of the new season, the Bears are favored by a touchdown at a majority of the online sportsbooks we've checked over. The lines have been going up, as the opening number was at six, so it's clear the public has been liking Chicago in this spot. There's also been some slight movement on the total, going down from 48.5 to 47.5.

The Bears, as you can see, were one of the worst teams to back with your NFL picks last season. They had an even 8-8 record yet only covered four times.

We expect improvement out of this Chicago team this season. Jay Cutler appears healthy and is gaining in confidence year in and year out, while Matt Forte, Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery are all formidable offensive players. The Bears also secured a deal for Jared Allen to help bolster their pass rush on the defensive side of the ball.

The Bills will start EJ Manuel, but we can expect a heavy dosage of C.J. Spiller and Fred Jackson against Chicago. The team also drafted Sammy Watkins early in the draft, and he'll immediately slot in as the number one receiver for Buffalo. Defensively, however, is where the Bills could be at their best, as they've got a formidable defensive lines which is led by Mario Williams, Kyle Williams and Marcell Dareus.

As we mentioned, the NFL odds are moving fast and we wouldn't be shocked to see this line continue to move in Chicago's favor. It's going to be up to you to decide where the best value truly lies. Once you make your mind up, we recommend the services of a trusted sportbook like 5Dimes.